


either way you cannot breathe

by aphwhales



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, F/F, One Shot, Vampires, also this went from 0 to 100 real fast whoops, vriska has been Imprisoned for her sins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-14 17:37:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14774141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aphwhales/pseuds/aphwhales
Summary: Your blood is hers, your bodies connected forever. She pulls off her pale green headscarf, and intertwines her body with yours, electric and sweet, and you could lay on this bed under her forever. Singing her praises and begging for more, you really wouldn’t mind.





	either way you cannot breathe

**Author's Note:**

> prompt from [here](http://flotsems.tumblr.com/post/174306976958/writing-prompt-s-youre-a-pirate-and-your-gang)  
> title from "never let me go" by f+tm

When Kanaya finishes tightening your corset, you can still breath, barely, and you thank whatever gods there are that she’s better at helping you dress than your sister. She’s ethereal on the dingy inn bed, all dark brown skin and heavy green eyes. Her dress and headscarf are on the floor still, from last night. As she sits up, you hand them to her, and then kiss over her eyelids. “I’d better go make sure the crew hasn’t caused any trouble downstairs.” 

“Mm.” She agrees, stretching. “I will meet you there.” 

The stairs are rickety, and they creak as you step, but you hardly notice it. Your brother has already started a ruckus. Or, to be more precise, his boyfriend has. 

“Hey, Rosie,” Dave greets you, running a hand through his ginger hair and mucking it up worse than it had been. Karkat, sitting beside him and arguing half heartedly but loudly with Nepeta, spares you only a glance and a grunt. 

“That’s captain to you, dear brother,” You reply, sitting next to Nepeta and pulling out your lipstick and a pocket mirror. The lipstick is dark purple - you like it because it shows up on Kanaya’s neck when you kiss her. 

“Good morning,” Dave raises a hand in greeting and Nepeta chirps a hello as Kanaya sits down beside you. “I presume we’ll be getting our ship back today?”

“Yes, provided that they were able to reattach our dear mermaid.” You reply. “And that Eridan has managed to set us up for a quick escape.” 

Kanaya chuckles, and Nepeta and Karkat laugh. Dave leans back in his seat. “Yeah, but he’s good at that shit. Cap’n.” The last word is directed with what could only be described as a ‘shit-eating grin’. 

~

Your ship is lovely, as always. The _Mother Grub_ stands tall in Derse harbor, waiting to be sailed back into the sea. Eridan salutes you - a running joke - and holds up a loop of rope. Only one mooring line is still attached, and he’s nudging it with a booted foot. You raise an eyebrow, as if to say _What are you waiting for_? With a grin, he kicks it to reveal that it’s already undone. 

A dockhand informs you that your original mermaid figurehead was so rotted from years on the ocean that it needed to be replaced. You glance at the new one, proud on your hull. Her hair is lighter, and her tail and top darker than the old mermaid. Kanaya, Nepeta, and Eridan will be sad, you think, they were fond of the old mermaid. 

Your ship is slowly drifting from the dock, but the dockhand hasn’t noticed yet. With any luck, he won’t have time to alert any superiors. “Thank you for your hard work,” You smile, quick and sharp. “But I’m afraid this is the last time you’ll be seeing me and my crew.”

The boy’s eyes widen - he hardly notices the rest of your crew hurrying onto the ship. How cute, he thinks you’ll be killing him. You smile at him again, no teeth this time, and trace his chin. “Oh dear, I wouldn’t kill you. Too vulgar. Very, _very_ messy.” 

With a twirl of your skirt and a last wave at the dockhand, you jump from the dock to your listing ship, and push off. 

Eridan greets you on deck. “Captain.” 

“Good work back there, Eridan. With any luck, we might be able to go back there in the future.” 

He frowns. “I can’t beliewe w-we lost Fef, though.” 

“Yes, I know. But hopefully this new mermaid will bring us just as much luck.” 

~ 

Kanaya pulls you to your shared cabin after sunset. It’s lit with many lanterns and candles - running the sewing machine in the dark would be dangerous. She pushes you onto the bed, and you allow her to climb over you, letting her thumb at the bite marks on your neck. 

“What, you didn’t feed enough in port?” You smirk, and then gasp when Kanaya brings her head down and runs her fangs across your jugular. 

“I could always feed more,” Kanaya replies, but she’s fed recently enough that you can feel her pulse in the wrist pressing into your hand. “Especially from you.” 

“Be my guest.” Neck exposed, hand curling around Kanaya’s. “Not much though, I do have a ship to run.” 

Kanaya traces your neck, this time with her tongue, and she assures you, “Oh, I won’t. But you’re just so delicious, my dear. I can never get enough of you.” Finally, she bites down. The prick of her teeth is the worst part, but the feeling of your blood leaving you, flowing into her, is relaxing. You and your lover, sharing the same blood, what could be more romantic? 

Eventually, she pulls back, dark lips glistening with your blood. There’s something arousing about that, really. Your blood is hers, your bodies connected forever. She pulls off her pale green headscarf, and intertwines her body with yours, electric and sweet, and you could lay on this bed under her forever. Singing her praises and begging for more, you really wouldn’t mind.   
~

In the morning you leave Kanaya to sleep and crawl out of her grip at dawn. You don’t bother buttoning your shirt, but you lace up your boots and tie up your skirt to keep it from blowing. Nepeta had night watch, but she pays no attention to you, perched as she is, high above the deck with the sails. 

The mermaid looms over the sea, and in the early morning the wavy reflections of the water bounce off of her face. You lean over the hull next to her, and sigh as you stare out to the ocean. Behind you, a door closes, which means Nepeta’s left to go to bed since you’ve awoken. 

“It’s really nice out there, isn’t it?” You startle. There’s no one behind you when you turn around, and even if there was, the voice is nothing like any of your crew. If anything, it sounds like a lower version of Terezi’s voice, or a higher version of Karkat’s, but there’s no chance either of them are up before daybreak. 

“That’s fine,” Whoever it is sounds annoyed now. “Ignore the clearly pissed cursed girl who’s just trying to make some friends.” You turn back to the mermaid, and nearly jump out of your skin. 

She’s facing you now, blonde hair covering her face - she has no arms to push it back. Carefully, you reach forward and tuck the long strands behind her ears. “Hm, so I suppose we’ll have to ask for your name, not just give you one.” 

“Yeah, sure.” The mermaid rolls her eyes. 

“I am Captain Rose Lalonde,” You begin. “This is my vessel, the _Mother Grub_.” 

The mermaid pauses, and finally responds. “My name is Vriska. This is the crappiest looking ship I have ever seen.” 

You ignore her for the rest of the day. 

~  
You volunteer for the second night watch that night, and as promised, Aradia wakes you at the witching hour. The moon is full, and the stars are dim in comparison. The water is pure white with the reflection of the sky, and you lean over the side to watch the waves lap at your ship. 

“What, you’re not gonna talk to me?” It’s Vriska, turned as best she can from her spot on the hull. You roll your eyes and walk towards her. 

 

“You were quite rude about my ship this morning. I had figured you might not want to be on it.”

“I wanna be out of this, not thrown overboard,” Vriska replies with a huff.   
“And how would that happen?” 

“I don’t know.” She scrunches her face up a moment, and then says, “Tell me about the lady here.” 

“There are many ladies here.”

“ _Your_ lady.” Vriska retorts. “The one who bit you.” 

Your hand shoots up to your neck. Vriska rolls her eyes dramatically, and says, “Yeah, I saw that. I see most everything goes around here. What’s her name? Where’s she from?” 

You attempt to regain your poise, and reply slowly. “Her name is Kanaya, and she is from -”

“Loraf in Prospit.” Vriska finishes for you. 

“And you knew that?” 

“Because I know her! I loved her! But she died! She was supposed to have died!” Vriska writhes in the figurehead. “I saw her die!” 

“She came back, if you couldn’t tell,” You reply dryly. You only know part of the story, evidently; Kanaya had almost died (almost, she’d told you, almost), and had ended up becoming a vampire to pay for her survival. 

She’d never told you that anyone else had been cursed with her. 

~

“Vriska was… interesting.” Kanaya tells you when you ask. “We… she was my lover. Prior to you. But to her, I thought it was just a fling.”

“She claims to have loved you.” 

Kanaya’s face falls. “Was - were those her exact words?” 

“Yes.” 

Kanaya only sighs. “It would not be unfair of her to blame me for what happened to us. You… you cannot get away with angering the Crockers without consequences.” 

You blink in surprise. “You got involved with -”

“I killed one of their men. An evil man named Gamzee with a talent for torturing his enemies with hypnotism. But you never win with them.” 

You only frown. “Then… what shall we do with Vriska?” 

“She’s just as dangerous,” Kanaya replies, a hard note entering her voice. “She was a double agent. My sister is powerful, you see. They wanted her. Vriska and I were caught in the crossfire, though.” 

With a deep breath, Kanaya tells you what to do. 

~

First, you and Kanaya volunteer to take the alternating shifts that night. Kanaya, as more of a seamstress that a crewhand, is not used to it, but she handles the nighttime well, and looks even better. 

Vriska is staring out at the horizon when you approach her. Kanaya is busy unloading one of the dinghies into the water on the starboard side of the ship. You raise the sword in your hand, flat end being swung, and swing it into Vriska’s head. 

It knocks her out easily, with very little blood, and that’s quite good for you. You tend to be messy with your snuffings. 

You lift the figurehead she resides in with Kanaya’s help, and throw it into the dinghy. Vriska wakes as you begin lowering it into the water. 

“Kanaya!” She pleads. “Don’t leave me here!” 

“This is how it has to be,” Kanaya replies, resigned. When you release the ropes mooring the dinghy to the ship, Kanaya strikes the match in her hand, and drops it. 

It lands right on the heart of the figurehead, and burns, burns, burns.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](flotsems.tumblr.com)


End file.
